Cystic Fibrosis Sufferers Often Face Sleep Apnea

Children suffering from cystic fibrosis often suffer from sleep apnea as well, an Italian study shows. Of 40 participants, 70% suffered from obstructive sleep apnea necessary of treatment.
Cystic fibrosis is a deadly disease passed down from parent to child which causes the body to produce a thick mucus in the lungs and pancreas.  It is usually diagnosed early as it is a genetic disorder and both parents must have the gene.
Researchers believe this to be the first study of its kind, while sleep disorders are well documented in older sufferers of CF, not much has been known about the relation earlier in life.  This study shows that sleep disorders can begin very early in life, before other symptoms of CF begin to become prominent.
Researchers and doctors will use this new knowledge to investigate treating sleep disorders in very young CF sufferers.  Sleep apnea can have debilitating effects on development, especially in young children.

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